In a rare legal reversal, 51-year-old LaRoy Robinson has been acquitted of murder and felonious assault charges related to the 2023 shooting death of Malik Islam. After his original conviction was set aside due to improper jury instructions, a bench trial before Judge Mark Serrott concluded that Robinson acted in self-defense, resulting in a sentence of five years’ probation for a separate weapons charge.
COLUMBUS, OH — A Columbus man who was once facing a life sentence for murder will instead spend the next five years on probation. On April 16, 2026, Franklin County Common Pleas Judge Mark Serrott officially brought an end to the multi-year legal saga of LaRoy Robinson, finding him not guilty of murder, felonious assault, and tampering with evidence.
The case stems from a December 2, 2023, incident on Cornell Avenue. Robinson testified that while sitting in his parked car, 46-year-old Malik Islam approached him and initiated a verbally aggressive confrontation. According to Robinson, Islam reached into his pocket for what appeared to be a firearm, prompting Robinson to fire a single fatal shot in self-defense.
A Legal “Do-Over”
The path to acquittal was anything but straight. In May 2024, a jury initially convicted Robinson of murder. However, Judge Serrott later made the significant move to set aside that verdict, admitting he had given the jury improper instructions on how to evaluate Ohio’s self-defense laws.
For his second trial on April 13, 2026, Robinson waived his right to a jury, placing his fate entirely in the hands of Judge Serrott. After reviewing the evidence—including Islam’s reputation for violence—the judge ruled that the shooting was a justified act of self-protection.
Probation for Weapons Charge
While cleared of the homicide, Robinson was still convicted of having weapons while under disability due to a prior felony conviction. For this charge, Serrott sentenced him to:
- 5 years of probation
- A $1,000 fine
- Payment of all court costs and fees
Safety Tip: This case is a massive reminder of the legal weight of “Prior Reputation.” Robinson’s defense was significantly bolstered by evidence that the deceased had a reputation for being “violent and dangerous.” Under self-defense law, your “reasonable belief” of an imminent threat is often judged by what you knew about your attacker at the moment of the encounter. However, the most critical lesson here for the 2A community is the “Weapon Under Disability” charge. Robinson survived a murder trial, but he is still a convicted felon for the simple act of possessing the gun he used to save his life. If you have a prior conviction that bars you from firearm ownership, your use of a gun—even in a perfectly justified self-defense scenario—will almost certainly lead to a felony conviction and a loss of freedom.
